Ranger's Bommies (also known as Rangers Reef) is a snorkel site within the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef Marine Park, lying about 1.5 km east of the Cape Range National Park shoreline in the sheltered Ningaloo Lagoon. The site features a striking series of coral bommies (isolated coral formations) stretching roughly 150 metres, with shallow northern bommies around 4 m deep and a southern drop-off reaching 8 m. Massive ancient Porites boulder corals, plate corals, branching corals, and encrusting corals create a vibrant underwater landscape teeming with parrotfish, damselfish, pufferfish, and anemonefish. Hawksbill turtles, octopus, cuttlefish, stingrays, and harmless whitetip reef sharks are frequently spotted here, with occasional leopard shark and manta ray encounters.
Ranger's Bommies
Fair. Experienced snorkellers only.
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Moderate risk: Marine Stingers (Box Jellyfish)
Stinger risk present during the warmer autumn months (March–May). Wearing full-body coverage is recommended.
Moderate risk: Large Shark Encounters
Tiger sharks, hammerheads and lemon sharks occasionally pass through. Avoid snorkelling at dawn/dusk and do not provoke.
Moderate risk: Drift current
A strong south-to-north drift current runs through Bills Bay. Snorkellers must be confident swimmers and wear fins to manage their position.
Low risk: Tidal Currents
Large tidal movements can create strong currents across the bommies, especially around high tide changes.
Low risk: Boat Traffic
Access is by boat or kayak; there are no moorings so boats anchor on sand. Be aware of nearby vessel traffic.
Low risk: Reduced Visibility at Drop-off
The southern drop-off side can have poor visibility, especially after windy conditions or at high tide.
Low risk: Distance from shore
The bommie is approximately 400 metres offshore, requiring good stamina and swimming ability to reach and return.
Low risk: Marine stingers
While rare at Coral Bay's latitude, jellyfish can occasionally appear. Stinger suits are recommended during warmer months.
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Getting in
From Exmouth, drive 30 minutes north to the Tantabiddi Boat Ramp (Cape Range National Park). Launch a private/hire boat or a sea kayak and head approximately 1.5 km due east into the Ningaloo Lagoon. Alternatively, launch a kayak from the National Park Pay Station beach access. No moorings are available — bring a sand anchor.
Parking available at Tantabiddi Boat Ramp and at Cape Range National Park Pay Station beach access.
Cape Range National Park entry fee: approximately $17 per day per standard vehicle.
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About this data
- Conditions last evaluated
- Spot data last updated
- Data sources
- Open-Meteo (marine & weather conditions), tide predictions via UTide, community contributors (descriptions, hazards, marine life).
- License
- Spot content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. How's the Spot is open source.